One Month to Live!

What an incredible campaign! What would you do if you had one month to live?

Well, there is no time like the present to be challenged by Christ! Please join me in this great effort to live a life for the Lord with no regrets! The challenge of "One Month to Live" is to live passionately, love completely, live humbly, and leave boldly for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know I can pray more, study more of God's Word, tell others about Him, show more of God's love, and leave a greater impact and legacy in this world for Christ when He calls me home. Lord God, give us the strength by the Holy Spirit to do so. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-12
"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

Student Ministries at First "B"!

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

A lot of us as parents have read and heard this Proverb from the Word of God. How important it is to teach our children about God. I totally agree with many others that it is the parent's responsibility to train up our children and teach them about God from His Word, to pray with them, and to model our Christian walk before them. It is also my prayer that each parent has the opportunity to help lead their children to the Lord. I am so thankful to God that I have had that opportunity with my own boys.

On top of that, I think it is very important to have our children involved with youth group. I am so thankful for Student Ministries at 1st Baptist Church. My brother-in-law, Pastor Jess Rollema, is doing a terrific job with our youth, grades 6-12. When our children are involved with Student Ministries, they are taught even more about God's Word. They are able to fellowship with other Christians and also invite students that may have not made a decision for Christ yet to Wednesday Night for worship/fellowship/ Bible study.

Tonight kicks off the new Student Ministries Wednesday Night youth group called "The Well". We come to the well to help quench our thirst for Jesus Christ every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. I am looking forward to seeing the youth and being able to participate with them again this year in this worship venue.

Please be in prayer for this ministry again this year. God has been so good...and we are looking forward to what He has in store for the youth and staff again this season.

Arena Football Championship!

Back-to-School shopping was great last Saturday in Billings, Montana! Why? I didn't have to be a part of it!!! Instead....my wife let me off the hook, and my pastor and good friend Shaun Matako and I went to the Indoor Football League Championship between the Billings Outlaws and the River City Rage...instead!

At Rimrock Arena in Billings, the crowd was going nuts ranting and raving over the Outlaws! Horns were blowing! Guns were going off! About 8,000 people were in attendance! The game was great, with a lot of fast paced football action! Hard hits....football players going over the walls....forget the pads.....Yeah!!!! In the end..the Billings Outlaws won the championship, 71 to 62.

It was great for Shaun and me to get away a little and blow off a little steam! Thank you Jodi and Sandra for letting us get away! We had a great time! Ask Shaun if he will be chewing gum at the next sporting event;-)

A Big Thank You!

As some of you may know.....Sandra, the boys, and I got back from our Idaho vacation with family. While I was gone I truly missed our congregation and of course worshiping with everyone.

I want to say a special thank you to Roger Pomeroy for taking over, and leading worship last Sunday while I was gone. I also want to say thanks to the rest of the 1st Praise Worship Team, for working hard to keep things going while I was gone on vacation. I heard that you did great last Sunday. You are incredible to work with, and I know that the Lord has truly blessed you and given you many gifts and talents. I am so proud of the fact that you have chosen to give back these gifts to the Lord.

I am encouraged to know that worship can and will continue regardless of who leads. God is our Leader. God is in control. We worship a Mighty God. It's not about us.....It's all about the Lord! Thank you once again, team, for allowing my family and me to go on vacation. You are so wonderful!

Thanks For Your Support!

Thank you so much for coming out to the Washakie County Fair and supporting the young people in our community, including my sons and the other kids from 1st Baptist Church. It was great to see everyone out and enjoying themselves.



It was especially great to see the involvement and support by those that are apart of 1st Baptist Church. Several of our 1st Baptist Church kids placed and won awards in many different categories in livestock, arts and crafts, woodworking, photography, baking, etc. Great job kids and thank you leaders for lending your helping hands in this effort each and every year. God bless all of you! See you in church!

Washakie County Fair!

It's so hard to believe that it is time for the Washakie County Fair again! The weather is hot. It's summer time. I guess that's the sign that it's happening here in Worland again.

My sons are walking their 4-H projects (goats and lambs). Sandra is busily assisting my sons as they get their animals all show clipped and polished. I don't know how my wife does it all .....what a support....especially when I'm at work. However, there is so much more that needs to get done. Sometimes there's just not enough time in a day.

There are many kids in our community that are hard at work in their preparation for this big event. I truly hope that each and every one of you will go and support our kids as they present their 4-H and FFA projects for this worthwhile event that we call the Washakie County Fair. It truly teaches responsibility and sportsmanship. If you get the opportunity, go out and support them at their event shows. The Garzas would love to see you there...especially mid-week, next week.

I Love the Fall! Can't Wait Until It's Here!

You know...I love the way that the Lord created the seasons! It is amazing how the changes happen in each one of them...the weather, temperature, plants, animal migrations, etc. I like the summer time, don't get me wrong, but my favorite time of the year is the FALL! Especially in Worland, Wyoming! Here is a list of things that I love about my favorite season....and I can't wait until it gets here!:

1) Football Season! NFL, College Football, High School Football, Middle School Football, and now Youth Rec. League (Full Contact) Football!

2) Fantasy Football League!

3) My kids excited about school getting started.

4) Getting to meet my kids' new teachers.

5) Student Ministries kickoff!

6) Sweatshirt and jacket weather!

7) Hayrides!

8) Harvest and harvest festivals....especially the get together playing music at my in-laws' ranch! Good food! Good friends! Good music! Good times! Thanksgiving being around the corner......mmmmm pumkin pie!

9) Surprise early snow!...especially in October!

10) Getting a preview of the Christmas music that will be in the Christmas Eve event at 1st Baptist!

11) MLB Baseball playoffs and the World Series!

12) Sitting and goofing around a fire on a chilly evening!

13) Bundling up and watching Worland Warrior Football on Friday nights!

14) Hot Chocolate!

15) Saving money on cooling bills, but not really using the heater too much yet.

16) The changing of the leaves....not having to mow the lawn....not really having to shovel snow yet either.

17) People returning from summer vacations...and packing out the church!

18) I could go on and on!

Lord, thank you for the seasons! I love what You do with summers, but I can't wait to see the next FALL! Until then....it's okay to dream about it right?